By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Long fuel queues have returned to Abuja for the first time since the Dangote Refinery began petrol supply in 2024, as a widespread shortage forces several filling stations to shut down operations.
Across the city and its outskirts, only a few petrol stations were dispensing fuel, and those open were overwhelmed by long lines of motorists struggling to buy petrol.
The scarcity follows a three-day industrial action by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Speaking on the development, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), assured that the situation would normalize within days.
“It is not just Abuja. Lagos was dry two days ago and so was the East. The shortage is a ripple effect of the PENGASSAN strike. Now that loading has resumed, normal distribution should return within two to three days. There is no cause for alarm,” Ukadike said.
He further explained that the $20 billion Dangote Refinery now serves as the country’s major source of petroleum products, supplying the NNPC Limited, depot owners, and independent marketers nationwide.
